Will take responsibility for debacle in UP: Joshi

Lucknow: Trying to insulate Rahul Gandhi from
being targeted for any poll debacle in Uttar Pradesh, state
party chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi today said she will take
responsibility for such eventuality if the party fails to
convert Gandhi`s presence into votes.

As the counting for 403 seats in UP began, Joshi said
Gandhi was party`s star campaigner and with the kind of
atmosphere he created, the party could reach out to about one
crore people.

"If we cannot convert that atmosphere into votes, the
responsibility will be of the party organisational set up and
mine since I am the chief. I will take responsibility," she
said.

Exit polls had shown that Congress was facing an uphill
task in reviving its fortunes in the Mayawati-ruled Uttar
Pradesh where its campaign was led from the front by Rahul
Gandhi.

Congress is contesting 357 seats in the state out of 403
seats where it won 22 seats in the 2007 state polls.